The year my family went bankrupt, I clung to Frederick Thomson and spent the last night with him. The next morning, I threw the last bit of money at Frederick. I told him, “You can go find another rich person now. You don’t have to force yourself to serve an ugly woman like me anymore.” Afterward, I was kicked out of my home by those coming to liquidate the assets. Because of the birthmark on my face, everyone pointed at it and mocked me. Meanwhile, Frederick’s friends were celebrating, cheering that he could finally start a new life. They told him, “Frederick, with your looks, plenty of beautiful and wealthy girls would fight over you. Why did you have to lose your mind back then and let that ugly woman take advantage of you?” “She’s bankrupt now, so she probably won’t bother you anymore, right?” Five years later, Frederick transformed from the poor campus heartthrob into a rising star in the business world. In an interview room, he flipped through my resume, but his gaze lingered on my photo for a long time. He asked calmly, “You’re 28? You already have a child?” I met his scrutinizing gaze and introduced myself, “Yes. My name is Isabella Fraser, I’m married, and I have a daughter.” Now I’ve changed my name, and the large birthmark on my face is gone. Frederick didn’t recognize me. I never thought the resume I sent would end up in Frederick’s hands, and that he would personally interview me. The moment I pushed the door open and saw him, my breath faltered for a moment. Frederick sat behind the desk, a pair of rimless glasses perched on his high nose. He was reviewing my resume. His gaze shifted from my photo to my face, with a probing look in his eyes. Frederick asked, “Isabella? You graduated from the University of Washington? You’re here applying for the personal assistant position?” He tapped the table with his fingers and looked up at me. “Do you know what a personal assistant means?” “To put it bluntly, it’s like being a nanny. I have a lot of daily tasks. You’ll need to pay attention to many details.” He kept talking, but my thoughts had already drifted back to the night we parted ways years ago. That night, Frederick was wearing a faded shirt. I tore off the button on his collar, then pushed him onto the bed and kissed him passionately without any order. I said cruel words to him, “The happiest person to hear about my bankruptcy must be you, right? You finally don’t have to humble yourself to serve me anymore. Seeing my face, does it disgust you?” “Don’t worry. Even if I’m bankrupt, I can still afford to buy one more night with you.” Frederick stayed silent, his eyes deep. Then, just like before, he skillfully wrapped his arm around my waist. At the end, I threw him a bank card. That also marked the end of my ridiculous earlier life. “Have you made up your mind?” Frederick asked. He tapped the table with his fingers, his voice cold and his gaze calm. He didn’t recognize me. I instinctively touched my face. The bluish-purple birthmark was gone, and so were the rashes caused by various cosmetics. My face now is slightly thin, with no makeup, clean and plain, completely unrecognizable from the person I used to be. What’s more, I even changed my name. I said, “I’ve made up my mind.” I forced down the surging emotions inside and temporarily regained a calm exterior. Frederick said, “Great, you can start now. I’ll have my secretary Jaxon Anderson brief you on the details.” Then, he raised his hand, signaling me to leave, without giving me another glance. I tactfully stepped out. The moment I closed the office door, my anxious heart finally settled. If possible, I never want to have much to do with Frederick again in this lifetime. In school, he was someone everyone saw as untouchable, while dirty, despicable, mean, and ugly were the labels attached to me. It was me who insisted on using money to buy and trample on Frederick’s dignity. I selfishly gave birth to a daughter, Hallie Fraser. Sadly, Hallie has now been diagnosed with a brain tumor and must undergo surgery. It’s like an unbreakable, unhealthy bond. For Hallie, I went to his company again. In the following days, I remained restless and unable to focus. Hallie’s surgery is approaching, so I have a lot to prepare. When I asked Frederick for leave the third time, his response was merciless. He said, “This is the last time. If it happens again, don’t come back.” I understand too. But today is Hallie’s birthday. She really wants to go to the amusement park. With the surgery approaching, I’m really scared she might never have the chance again. I clenched my teeth and still took Hallie to the amusement park until the afternoon. When we were heading back, the sky suddenly poured with heavy rain, and we took shelter under the eaves by the street. Just as I opened my phone to call a ride, Hallie suddenly broke free from my hand and stumbled out to pick up a fallen toy. By the time I reacted, Hallie had already run into the rain. Seeing a car speeding through the rain in the distance, I instantly became tense, almost screaming out loud. But a large hand pulled Hallie back before I could. “Isabella.” His voice was cold and low in the pouring rain. I froze, looked up, feeling like I was dreaming. Frederick stood in front of me, holding Hallie’s hand tightly. He wasn’t holding an umbrella, and rain kept streaming down his hair, cheeks, and chin, soaking his expensive suit. His expression was as distant and stern as ever, but there was a faint trace of anger in it. I said, “Thank you, Mr. Thomson.” Immediately, I hurriedly pulled Hallie behind me. This time, I didn’t teach Hallie to say thank you as I usually would. Frederick glanced at us and coldly said, “Get in the car.”
When Frederick had a cold expression, he gave off a strong sense of oppression. I got into his car with Hallie, my heart racing. My hand unconsciously clenched the hem of my clothes, wrinkling them. The hair on his forehead was still dripping water, and he handed me a towel. Frederick said, “Don’t let the child catch a cold.” I was still stunned, but Hallie had already taken the towel and said crisply, “Thank you.” Frederick’s expression softened a lot. His gaze fell on my dazed face, and he frowned again. He asked, “Did you take the day off just to get caught in the rain?” As soon as he spoke, he seemed to realize his tone was a bit stern. He rubbed his aching temples and asked, “Where are you going?” “Central Hospital,” Hallie answered quickly. As if defending me, she said, “Mom came to celebrate my birthday today. I’ve been in the hospital for so long, and it’s been ages since I went out to have fun.” Frederick was stunned, looking at the fearless little girl in front of him. Her face was slightly thin, with a sickly pallor that made her eyes seem even larger and rounder, and unusually bright. As she blinked at him, an inexplicable and strangely indefinable feeling arose in Frederick’s heart. He felt the child looked vaguely familiar and, almost as if driven by something uncontrollable, asked, “Where’s her dad?” “He passed away a long time ago,” I quickly said my first words after getting in the car. Then, as if trying to cover something up, I changed the subject and said, “Thank you, Mr. Thomson. There have been some matters on her side recently, so I’ve been busy. I won’t let this happen again and will complete my work properly.” After I finished speaking, Frederick’s gaze shifted from Hallie to me. His stern face, with those deep eyes, startled me. I instinctively avoided his gaze. Frederick no longer wanted to say more. He leaned back in his seat, closed his eyes to rest, and simply instructed the driver, “To Central Hospital.” The car quickly arrived at the destination. Frederick got out of the car before me. He pulled out a black umbrella and lightly tapped the handle with his fingers, signaling me to get out. “Thank you, Mr. Thomson. You don’t need to see us off. I’ll return the umbrella to you tomorrow,” I said softly, just wanting to leave quickly. “I only have this umbrella.” He stood in front of the car door, his chest broad. His soft voice came from above my head. He meant that if he lent it to me, he would be without an umbrella. I had no choice but to give up, then held Hallie and squeezed under the same umbrella with him. I was very close to him. Frederick could catch a faint scent of laundry detergent lingering at the tip of his nose. For some reason, he found the smell somewhat familiar, and his heart started beating irregularly. He took a deep breath and started talking to distract himself. Frederick said, “You’ve been at work for less than a month, took a few hours off a couple of times before, and now a whole day off today. You’re even busier than me.” I felt both ashamed and anxious, keeping my head down without saying a word. Walking into the hospital, I handed Hallie to the doctor for a checkup. When I turned around, I saw Frederick still standing behind me, showing no intention of leaving. I stepped forward, smiling awkwardly, and said, “Mr. Thomson, do you have any other plans? I’ve taken care of my personal matters and can return to work now.” He didn’t answer my question, only asked, “What’s wrong with her?” I didn’t understand what he meant, so I answered truthfully, “She has a tumor and needs surgery.” Frederick said, “If that’s the case, I suggest you find a new job.” I was stunned and looked up at him. His expression was as calm and indifferent as ever. Frederick suddenly changed the subject and said in a condescending tone, “Being my personal assistant is demanding. I don’t need someone who’s always distracted and unfocused wasting time here.” His words were very direct, so direct that they were a bit harsh. A buzzing sound rang in my ears. The corners of my eyes turned red, and I let out a cold laugh, saying, “I’ve only been here for a week. Mr. Thomson, what makes you think I’m just here to slack off?” “I took leave, first because I had a valid reason, and second, after completing my work. I don’t think I did anything wrong.” Frederick listened to every word without missing a beat and, unusually, remained silent. He stared into my eyes, noticing a different emotion in me for the first time. From the first time he met me, he felt that my quietness was strange, or rather, that I was avoiding something. Until now, he met my gaze, saw through my evasive eyes, and realized these eyes seemed somewhat familiar. So, he abruptly said, “Have we met somewhere before?”
It felt like all the blood in my body stopped flowing for a moment. Nervous, my tightly clenched palms were drenched in sweat. I asked, “Mr. Thomson, are you changing the subject? Do you think what I just said was so accurate that you can’t refute it?” I lifted my head, trying to interrupt Frederick’s absurd assumptions with sharp words. He paused noticeably for two seconds. Those two seconds felt endless, tugging at my heart. Frederick said, “You’re right, I was wrong.” He let out a soft chuckle, his tone sounding like he was mocking himself. After speaking, he turned and left. The next day, everything at the company was as usual. When Frederick appeared, he didn’t spare me a glance, as if nothing had happened. Near the end of the workday, Jaxon walked out of the office, looking a bit unwell. He muttered softly, “Why did Mr. Thomson suddenly ask me to look into a college classmate?” The words “college classmate” reached my ears. My heart felt like a massive tsunami had been unleashed. I asked with difficulty, “Jaxon, who is Mr. Thomson asking about? Maybe I know them.” “Oh, right, you both graduated from the University of Washington. She’s a woman named Arabella Paterson,” Jaxon said, kindly flipping open a printed photo to show me. The girl in the photo had heavy makeup on, but the bluish-black birthmark clung to her face like a demon’s claw, strikingly obvious. Frederick is looking for me. This news felt like a thorn, piercing my heart and making me increasingly uneasy. So, when Frederick called me into the office at noon as usual, I was still a bit dazed. While making coffee for him, I could feel his cold gaze filled with intense scrutiny. He asked, “Isabella, you also graduated from the University of Washington. Which department were you in? You look somewhat familiar to me.” My whole body tensed up, gripping the coffee cup tightly, even my breathing trembled. I replied, “I was in the Department of Communication. During college, I participated in several volunteer activities. Maybe I ran into Mr. Thomson back then.” “Oh, really?” Frederick took the coffee cup, his gaze falling on the rippling liquid inside, and smiled ambiguously. Then, he suddenly said, “Do you know Arabella from the Department of Economics?” “I think I’ve heard of her, but I don’t really remember,” I replied with a forced smile. Fortunately, Frederick didn’t seem to mind the perfunctory tone in my words and just nodded lightly. I quickly finished organizing the files on hand and then left the office. I didn’t notice Frederick’s gaze shift from my back to the desk in front of him. He picked up the two photos on the desk and tried to overlap them. After work that day, my rarely used email inexplicably received a message. It was actually my former university professor. He said my thesis needed a random check and asked me to provide a phone number for contact. The doctor beside me was advising me on precautions for Hallie’s surgery. So I didn’t even think about whether the message was real or not. I quickly replied with a string of numbers, then turned off my phone to focus on listening to the doctor. After leaving the consultation room, I walked through the hallway toward Hallie’s ward. But I froze when I saw the scene in front of me. In the distance, Hallie was holding Frederick’s hand and waving at me from afar. My hand gripped the doorknob tightly, my whole body tensed up. I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and quickened my pace. Hallie tilted her little head, speaking as her voice gradually became clearer. She said, “I’m not afraid of pain. I’ll be just like Mom. Mom once fought and defeated a big monster on her face. I can definitely beat the demon inside me too.” Hallie’s words were a bit confusing, and Frederick seemed not to understand. He paused for a moment and asked, “What?” I broke out in a cold sweat and quickly stopped Hallie from continuing. “Hallie.” A passing nurse greeted me and praised, “Isabella, Hallie really looks like her dad.” I hurriedly said, “He’s not. Hallie’s dad passed away a long time ago.” No one knew my panic at that moment. The intense heartbeat almost shattered my eardrums, and my voice came out dry and strained. The nurse awkwardly walked away. Frederick nodded at me, his gaze calm, seemingly unfazed by the nurse’s words. I breathed a sigh of relief. Taking Hallie’s hand, I thanked Frederick. Hallie’s surgery is less than two days away. I’m struggling with how to ask Frederick for leave. Jaxon walked out of the office with a worried look. His eyes met mine, and he seemed about to say something but stopped. He sighed and finally said, “Isabella, be honest with me. Which school are you really from? This can’t be faked.” My hand trembled, and cold sweat instantly broke out on my forehead. I could only pretend to be confused and forced a smile. “Jaxon, what do you mean by this? I graduated from the University of Washington.” Jaxon said, “Mr. Thomson asked me to check on you. There’s no one named Isabella Fraser in the University of Washington’s Department of Communication.” It felt like something exploded in my head. At that moment, my mind went blank, unable to think. “Think about how you’re going to explain this to Mr. Thomson later,” he advised. I stood there, unable to move. It took a full minute before my clogged mind started thinking again. I quickly wrote my resignation letter, packed up my desk, and marched straight into Frederick’s office. I said, “I’m sorry, Mr. Thomson. I admit I’m not a University of Washington graduate. I faked my credentials and deceived you.” “Hallie is having surgery in a couple of days. I can’t handle this job, and I don’t have the face to continue.” “Thank you for taking care of me this past month. I’ve left my resignation letter here.” I couldn’t give Frederick the chance to keep investigating. Otherwise, he would find out that Isabella was actually called Arabella five years ago. For this, I clenched my teeth and walked forward with my head down. I was about to throw the resignation letter onto Frederick’s desk and run, but a large hand grabbed my wrist. I looked up and saw Frederick’s eyes filled with complex emotions. He said slowly and firmly, “Arabella, how much longer are you going to mess with me?” His words dragged me back to the most unbearable past.
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